Speakers at a seminar on Climate Change Negotiation yesterday stressed
the need for mounting pressure on the developed countries, which are responsible
for emissions of greenhouse gases.

Billions of people of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are suffering from
the climate change, and the suffering would increase in the days to come as the
developed, industrialist countries are responsible for the emission of carbon
dioxide, said the speakers.

The participants said Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to
the impact of global warming. And 17.5 per cent areas of the Southern region of
the country would go under water, if one metre of the sea level rises due to
climate change, they pointed out.

The National Consultation Seminar on "Climate Change Negotiation"
was organised by the Forum of Environmental Journalists of Bangladesh (FEJB) in
collaboration with the World Water Forum of Journalists (WWFJ) and Commonwealth
Environmental Journalists Association (CEJA).

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) supported the seminar. FEJB Chairman Quamrul Islam
Chowdhury presided over the meeting held at Jatiya Press Club.

Although responsible for the climate change, the developed countries do not
respond positively to the crisis, nor do they come forward to address it, the
speakers pointed out. The attitude of the European Union, however, is pretty
positive towards the LDCs causes, they said.

They said the LDCs should raise voice in unison against the countries
contributing extensively to global warming and create pressure on them for
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and its full implementation.

Speaking at the seminar, Secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Forest
Mahfuzul Islam said Bangladesh would raise voice at the upcoming sixth
International Climate Change Negotiation meeting to be held in Bonn on July 16
to 28 for implementation of the Kyoto Protocol and for assistance to Bangladesh.

Mahfuzul Islam said Bangladesh together with other developing countries would
put pressure on other countries to sign the protocol.

Addressing the inaugural session, World Bank Country Director Frederick T.
Temple said millions of Bangladesh people living below the poverty line suffer
lack of basic healthcare and malnutrition on one hand, and one of the most
vulnerable nations in the world to climate change, on the other.

He said Bangladesh stands to benefit from being an even more active
participant in all international debates on climate change because Bangladesh's
contribution to the global emissions of greenhouse gases is less than 0.1 per
cent.

Temple said the impact of climate change does not stop only at environmental
damage, it also affects other areas of development, which are crucial for the
country's future economic growth, human health, basic infrastructure and
lifestyle and wellbeing of every person.

The WB country director said the climate change is slow, yet irreversible,
and Bangladesh should take effective measures before major changes begin. He
observed that the higher seawater level would scale up the frequency and
duration of flooding. The global warming in the dry season threatens to increase
the severity of drought, harming agricultural land, essential ecosystem and
biodiversity in Bangladesh.

He underscored the need for an integrated countrywide programme of adaptation
to climate change. This work should not be isolated from that of meeting the
country's development goals.

UNDP's Resident Representative Dr Yannick Glemaree said Bangladesh should
play a proactive role in the international efforts to mitigate the risks of
climate change and focus on down-to-earth options immediately.

He underscored the need for the immediate phasing out of two-stroke engines
and opting for CNG-run ones. He said the energy price reform is necessary to
encourage the use of efficient and renewable technologies.

Dr Firoze Ahmed of the BUET said the developed countries must give up their
lavish lifestyle in order to help the developing countries not least because
they are responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. He informed that the per
capita emission of greenhouse gases in Bangladesh is 0.5 per cent ton, which is
the least in Asia and it will continue until 2020.

Graham Clough of the British High Commission and DG of Department of
Environment Khandaker Rashidul Haque also addressed the inaugural session. The
technical session was joined by the experts from the World Bank, UNDP, BUET,
MoEF, BIDS, SEMP and Dhaka University.